“Runaway Imagination on the Back of a Wild Mare” is an artwork by Robert Williams created in 1993. This piece falls under the Lowbrow Art movement, characterized by its figurative style that often eschews traditional fine art standards. Lowbrow Art, also known as Pop Surrealism, frequently incorporates elements from pop culture, underground comics, and street art. The artwork reflects an imaginative and vivid scene filled with dynamic and often fantastical imagery.
The artwork presents a chaotic and vibrant scene. At the center, a prominent figure is seemingly propelled forward by an explosive force originating from the brain, illustrated by a burst of yellow and red lines. The figure’s head is cartoonishly large, emphasizing a look of alarm and apprehension as it rides atop a wild mare, which symbolizes the unbridled nature of imagination.
Around the central figure and mare, an array of disparate elements come together in a dreamlike assemblage. Fantastical creatures and objects orbit the scene, and the background is filled with cosmic and surreal landscapes. Bat-winged beings, mythological motifs, and a variety of other seemingly unrelated characters populate the piece, defining a narrative that is left largely to the interpretation of the viewer.
The artwork is tied together by a bold use of color and dynamic movement, resulting in a visually arresting tableau that captures the viewer’s attention and prompts a closer examination of its many details. Williams’s use of sharp contrasts, intricate linework, and a rich palette showcases his skill within the Lowbrow Art genre and highlights the boundless potential housed within the human mind, as implied by the fantastical explosion of thoughts and ideas central to this work.
